Pixies / Doolittle on 5.1 blu-ray audio

The Pixies‘ Doolittle is to be released next month on the blu-ray audio format and will include a newly remixed 5.1 surround sound version of the 1989 album .
Despite being issued on hi-res SACD in the past this is the Doolittle‘s debut in 5.1. Kevin Vanbergen has created the new surround mix from the original analogue multi-tracks.

This new edition will also feature an HD transfer of the original stereo mix by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. The album was reissued back in 2014 for its 25th anniversary.

ha! Interestingly I had a chat with a friend at Beggars/4AD a couple of years ago. They have 5.1’s of Cocteau Twins albums too. Someone, who has now left, commissioned them, but they. have been sitting on the shelf for years as they didn’t think there was a market for them.

and it appears there was a miscommunication over a beer regarding the Cocteau Twins 5.1’s. I’ve just had confirmation there are NO 5.1’s but there are remasters. I hear the Pixies 5.1’s are amazing. Looking forward to them.

It’s also on Amazon US for just a little more. If you have Prime, local sales tax may offset the shipping savings over 4AD’s site, but you’ll get it in two days (or perhaps release date) over the WEEKS it can take 4AD to ship orders (past experience).

Apparently the Minotaur box set contained “one DVD-Audio disc mastered for 5.1 surround sound and 2 channel stereo at 24/96 containing all five albums; and one Blu-ray disc audio mastered for 5.1 surround sound and 2 channel stereo at 24/192″ (per Amazon). Thus this new edition is not the first 5.1, correct? If so, is it any different?

As much as I want those Cocteau albums, I wish they’d release the This Mortal Coil blu-ray that they promised when the last box set dropped. As I understand it, it was a dispute with Vaughan Oliver that stopped it, and I can only assume the Cocteau sets might be related. But yes to all of those. The 4AD back catalogue is perfect for high res and surround.

My earlier comment was a little rushed; there’s definitely a mismatch between what Royal Mail charge to post to the US (at worst a CD goes that way as a small parcel, at around £4) and what the USPS charge an individual to send a CD the other way (might be as much as $13?). Discogs is a good gauge of the cost to a small seller, other outlets that send a decent volume of items over may get better deals – for instance a large retailer on Discogs seem to be able to charge a flat $6.99 per LP for international post.

I am super excited about these 2 releases in 5.1 as these are fantastic albums and will sound really good in surround,sure wish I could see a preorder on amazon.ca or amazon.uk(not sure why only amazon.com so far).

Question for Paul Sinclair-any chance you can followup on the Cocteau Twins 5.1’s sitting on the shelf. If really true and if they were done by engineers that understand surround, these could be amazing to listen to, they are one of the bands I have been hoping to hear in surround. By the way Steven Wilson is a fan of Cocteau Twins and said he would like to remix them in surround.

Thanks Paul for clarifying about Cocteau Twins as when I posted did not see Jan’s response that there are no 5.1’s.
Well let’s hope that Cocteau Twins find out about Steven Wilson’s interest in doing their stuff in surround, their stuff would sound amazing in lossless surround.
Good news is we get these 2 amazing releases as Love and Rockets and Pixies are a couple of my other favorites from 4AD/Beggars and they should sound very cool in deed.